Beyond the Game – Ersula Farrow

Note: The following appears in the June issue of Orange: The Experience. For full access to all of the publication’s content, join IPTAY today by calling 864-656-2115.

Q. Where are you from?A. I’m from Detroit, Michigan. In high school, I attended Grosse Pointe South High School for my freshman, sophomore and junior years. Then, for my senior year, I went to Oak Park High School and graduated from there.

Q. What are your parents’ occupations?A. My mom works for the United States Postal Service, and my dad works for Ford Motor Company, taking part in the manufacturing of the gas tanks for Ford vehicles.

Q. Do you have any siblings?A. I have an older sister, Christina, who ran track at Central Michigan. She majored in psychology and she has a master’s degree. Now, she has a career as a professional counselor.

Q. Who is your ultimate inspiration in life?A. Christina is my biggest inspiration. She’s always there for me when I need her, and she is my role model in everyday life. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

Q. Why did you choose Clemson?A. I chose Clemson mainly because of coach (Mark) Elliott. He influenced my college decision a lot because of his coaching, as well as the fact that he’s coached so many 800-meter runners who won NCAA championships. I wanted to be a part of that group and, with his coaching and my running ability, win NCAA championships in my events.

Q. What is your major?A. I major in psychology. I chose that major because I wanted to get a better feel for how people’s minds impact their behavior. I plan to pursue a coaching career, so an education in psychology will be helpful. A career in sports psychology is definitely an option as well.

Q. What is your favorite class at Clemson?A. I really enjoyed my geography class, because the professor made the class really fun by including games and other activities as part of the learning experience. I didn’t necessarily like geography before I took the class, but the teacher made it very interesting. And I got an “A” in the class because of it.

Q. What has been your favorite memory at Clemson?A. My favorite memory took place last year during ACC outdoor track season. I received my first ACC medal after placing third in an event. That was my freshman year, and medaling was a goal that I was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish. So the fact that I was able to earn that medal was great. It was basically the highlight of my freshman year.

Q. Why did you first become involved with track?A. My parents were track runners, and my sister was a track runner, too. So it’s in my family’s blood to run track. I started out running track when I was seven, and I’ve been running ever since.

Q. How has running track impacted your life?A. It’s made me who I am today, and I don’t know who I would be without it. People involved with track often say that it is life, and it really is. I don’t know what else I could do without track. It’s shaped me and made me the person I am today.

Q. What are you looking forward to for the remainder of your Clemson career?A. I’m looking forward to trying to get the best out of my education and, track-wise, continuing to try to achieve personal records. My main goal between this year and next year is to make it to NCAAs, place there and hopefully win.

Q. What do you like most about the Clemson area?A. I like the people. Growing up in a big city like Detroit, it’s definitely different here than what I was used to when I first started at Clemson as a freshman. I like how everyone is so open and friendly here.

Q. What do you aspire to do after you graduate?A. I want to become a professional track athlete and eventually go into track coaching. Hopefully, I’ll be able to obtain those goals. I also have aspirations being a sports psychologist.